The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Working It Out On Parkside

Growing up in the heartland, the little Q rarely heard so much as a raised voice, let alone the kind of dust-ups you hear in NYC all the time, often about not much at all. "Conflict? Does it even exist except on TV?" coddled Q might have asked. But after 25 years in Brooklyn, had the full-grown Q been in the Kennedy Fried Chicken place on Parkside last night, and the below dialogue broken out, I too would have stuck around to see if the two adversaries would eventually come to an understanding, maybe even shaking hands. Because despite the heightened rhetoric, in their way, they are trying to come to an understanding that will allow both parties to claim partial victory. When the testosterone comes out to play, what you often see is a bit of backing off as the hormone surge recedes, though in this flick we don't get to see the eventual outcome.

A little background: according to the videographer who sent me this clip, the issue that brought it all to a head was when the grill cook spat on the ground while cooking. Why so upset? Perhaps a bug flew into his mouth? We may never know. The patron, understandably concerned by such unsanitary behavior while his food was being assembled, took issue with the action, leading to an invitation by management to engage in an unethical carnal act between patron and chef. Perhaps I should qualify that. It would be unethical, and illegal, were it non-consensual and/or performed in a public environment.

The conclusions I draw from this interaction are quad-fold: 1: I will not be ordering food from this establishment anytime soon. 2: Spitting while cooking is considered vulgar and unhealthy. 3: The use of homophobic profanity is never called for, even in jest. 4. I'm really glad the clip shows the players from the neck down.